Be part of Fort Worth Recycles events in honor of America Recycles Day
Published on October 29, 2022
Each year on Nov. 15, millions of people across the United States take part in America Recycles Day. The day raises awareness about recycling and sustainability, and encourages purchasing recycled products.
To celebrate, Keep Fort Worth Beautiful is sponsoring a series of recycling-related events and activities during November. There is something for everyone.
Where are you tossing?
This fall, Fort Worth launched a new campaign to educate residents about items they should or should not place in the blue recycling cart. The campaign name, W.A.I.T., is an acronym that stands for “Where am I tossing?” The campaign encourages residents to pause before they throw items in the wrong bin, decreasing contamination.
“Thirty percent of the material that goes to our local recycling facility is contaminated,” said Christian Harper, the City’s solid waste contract compliance superintendent. “And most people don’t know that nonrecyclable items tossed in your blue recycle bin cost the city and taxpayers five times more to process than if those items had been tossed in the brown cart. Our goal is to engage residents in recycling right. Once that happens, we hope to see residents recycling more of the correct things.”
For help with figuring out if certain items are recyclable, use the Waste Wizard or download the Fort Worth Garbage and Recycling app from Google Play or the App Store.
Next time you’re ready to toss something, WAIT – and when in doubt, throw it out.
Tour the Materials Recycling Facility
Join Keep Fort Worth Beautiful on Nov. 15 for a tour of the Republic Services' Material Recovery Facility in northeast Fort Worth. Learn how Fort Worth’s residential recyclables are separated, processed and baled.
Attendees will view the single-stream sorting system and special machinery, while also learning which items are acceptable and unacceptable for recycling in Fort Worth.
The observation room is wheelchair-accessible. Sign up now. Spots fill fast, and registration closes Nov. 14.
Neighborhood Recycling Competition
To honor America Recycles Day, Keep Fort Worth Beautiful encourages residents to participate in the “Take a Selfie” Neighborhood Recycling Competition that starts on Nov. 1.
Email a selfie, including the contents of your blue recycling cart free of contamination, to be entered to win a prize.
From Nov. 1-14, residents can submit one entry per household per week, plus get bonus entries when sharing their recycling cart selfie on social media using the hashtag #FWRecycles22. View details and rules.
One neighborhood winner and one individual winner will be selected. Winners will be announced Nov. 18.
School Green Teams Recycling Competition
In celebration of America Recycles Day, School Green Teams are challenged to make a fun video showing how they reduce contamination in recycling streams.
School Green Teams will receive an email with details and rules. Deadline to submit entries is Nov. 14. Participation in the competition gives each team 50 points toward their School Green Team activity challenge. The winning team will be notified on Nov. 16 and will receive an extra 50 points.
If your school does not have a Green Team, there is time to put one together for this academic year. School Green Teams receive educational resources and support to help get students excited about the environment and take sustainability efforts to the next level. Participation is free, and any student K-12 is welcome (public, private, or homeschooled). Visit the School Green Teams website.
Partner events
On Nov. 15, the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center Sustainability Team is sponsoring a free recycling event. Donate old electronics and appliances for recycling, documents for shredding, clothing and more. Drop off items from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A detailed list of accepted items can be found on the United Electronic Recycling website and on the Mobile Shred It website. Clothing, jewelry, textiles and shoes will be donated to the Resale Shop of the Center for Transforming Lives.
Learn more about the event.
For more information on Fort Worth Recycles Day events and activities, contact Keep Fort Worth Beautiful at 817-392-2046.
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